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Saturday, 25 June 2016

Cases of a debilitating disease that results in lesions on sea turtles off north Queensland are rising, with a researcher suspecting a link between the disease and the health of the Great Barrier Reef.

Key points:

Fibropapillomatosis caused by the herpes virus and results in lesions on the turtle's body
Lesions can grow on an animal's eyes so they cannot see predators and cannot catch food
"Hotspot" in Cockle Bay at Magnetic Island may provide clues to the disease, with turtles only 100 metres away unaffected by tumours

The disease, called fibropapillomatosis (FP), is caused by the herpes virus and results in lesions on the turtle's body.

The disease has been found across the world and more recently in places like Townsville.

James Cook University researcher Karina Jones has been studying the disease in turtles found near Magnetic Island off Townsville.

She said the disease could contribute to the death of turtles.

"It grows on their eyes, they can't see predators, they can't catch food, so sometimes they slowly starve to death — it's not a nice thing for the turtles to experience," she said.

Thursday, 16 June 2016

Cleanup crews trying to mitigate Japan’s never-ending radiation crisis at Fukushima ran into more problems recently after sensors monitoring a drainage gutter detected a huge spike in radiation levels from wastewater pouring into the Pacific Ocean.

The Tokyo Electric Power Company says radiation levels were up to 70 times, or 7,000 percent, higher than normal, prompting an immediate shutdown of the drainage instrument.

The first readings came around 10 a.m. local time on February 22, setting off alarms not once but twice as radiation levels spiked to extremely high levels.

“The levels of beta ray-emitting substances, such as strontium-90, measured 5,050 to 7,230 becquerels per liter of water between 10:20 a.m. and 10:50 a.m.,” reported The Japan Times. “TEPCO requires radioactivity levels of groundwater at the plant discharged into the sea to remain below 5 becquerels.”

TEPCO shut off leaky gutter, but radiation continued to spike throughout day

The gutter was quickly decommissioned to prevent further radiation emissions, but the leaks reportedly continued throughout the day, with radiation levels hovering between 10 and 20 times higher than normal. TEPCO says it doesn’t know what caused the sudden radiation spikes.

“With emergency surveys of the plant and monitoring of other sensors, we have no reason to believe tanks storing radioactive waste water have leaked,” stated a plant official to the media. “We have shut the gutter [from pouring water to the bay]. We are currently monitoring the sensors at the gutter and seeing the trend.”

Thursday, 9 June 2016

Posted by Ari Beser in Fulbright National Geographic Stories on June 9, 2016

[snip]

FUKUSHIMA, Japan— Ten months ago I arrived in Japan to cover a historic year—the 70th anniversary of the atomic bombings, the fifth anniversary of the 2011 earthquake and nuclear disaster, and the first visit by a sitting U.S. President to Hiroshima. I wanted to document the social impact nuclear technology has had on Japan.

Japan is the only country in the world to experience atomic war and a catastrophic nuclear meltdown. I have a unique family connection to Hiroshima and Nagasaki as a grandson of the only double crewman of the bomb missions, and I’ve spent the past five years in Japan meeting with the survivors of the bombs, or hibakusha as they are called in Japanese.

The hibakusha have been telling audiences their survival stories for decades. They experienced the bombing 71 years ago, and while they never forget their trauma and it never gets easier to describe it, each time they speak they spread their precious testimony in hopes of contributing to a world free of nuclear weapons. However when I turned my focus to Fukushima, I found it difficult to capture stories. Like Hiroshima and Nagasaki, everyone who was in Fukushima at the time of the disaster has a story, but unlike Hiroshima and Nagasaki many are struggling to find their voice.

The disaster is still fresh in the minds of the survivors. Many wish to speak out about their exposure to the radiation, or the dangers of nuclear power, but don’t know what to say, or how to describe what they went through. The following voices each depict a different aspect of the disaster and show how Fukushima has been diversely affected.

In the next few months I will finish editing the videos I have filmed in Hiroshima, Nagasaki, and Fukushima for my blogumentary that will be viewable on YouTube and Facebook at “Hibakusha The Nuclear Family.”

Tuesday, 7 June 2016

TEPCO reported last week that roughly 10% of the frozen wall is not working. Currently only certain sections are being actively frozen with other sections to possibly be frozen as they determine the cause and effect of the initial work.

One of the sections being frozen with some problems is near unit 1 on the sea side. TEPCO claimed that accumulated groundwater and gravel in the area may be contributing to the problem. TEPCO also indicated the wall is “riddled with holes”. These problems appear to be delaying the start for freezing of other sections of the wall. One action being considered is to put cement or other solidification agents in the problem areas. We looked at these problem areas and what factors may be playing a role.